Hello! I was referred here by the "ask Mr. Smartyplants" website who were unable to identify this plant I found growing in my backyard. I found this leafy plant growing in a large clump at my new home, which is in Los Angeles, CA about 8 miles from the coast. It was in a bright shady spot that was never watered in the last 18 months--so quite dry except in the rainy season (which is right now). The soil in this spot was poor, in fact it seems to be the trash pit for construction trash when the house was built. It was in a clump about 3' in diameter and growing 3-4' tall. I had to dig it up to build something in the spot. It turned out to be many plants closely bunched together. It has very soft & fleshy, thick, bulb-like roots with small tendrils of root growing out from the thick underground stalks. The roots were very deep--more than 2 feet in the middle of the bunch. I don't see any evidence of blooms right now and have not seen any since we moved in 6 months ago (August). Attached are some photos of the plant. The one laying in the grass has no roots remaining. I replanted all the ones that came out of the ground with roots on and they seem to be doing OK after transplanting to a new shady spot. Thanks very much for your help!
Did you notice any smells when digging it up? Spicy, like ginger? Onion-y, like leek? Or nothing at all? Have these been roughly this height since August, or did they come to life then and grow throughout the winter?
This is a very long shot. Veldt lily or cape lily. (Crinum ???). Mine have pink flowers and there are white ones Mine are large clumps Liz
From my experience with crinums and hymenocallis, it could be either. The leaves look softer and more crinum like, but both genera have many species. http://www.pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/index.php/Crinum This site may show you what you can expect, and at least they are in your USDA zone. For me, on the southeast coast, crinum species are more likely to become overgrown and hacked out of the landscape to dump elsewhere. That may be one of your neighbors who put them in the site debris months ago or more. In twenty-five years I've made at least three home gardens in the state prettier with massive clumps of Crinum Ellen Bosanquet, which I think is Crinum moorei. The first home was sold to a guy who ripped the crinums out and dumped them on the edges of a wood nearby. Where they rooted and bloomed and made others happy. I'm hoping that these will make you very glad you salvaged them. If they are crinums, you'll probably know this summer, if Hymenocallis spp. it may take longer.
Thanks to all for the suggestions! Daniel: I did not notice any smell when I was digging. It was leafy in August when we moved in, but I honestly cannot remember if it was a lot smaller. It was very overgrown back there and I was paying more attention to trimming back the vines than I was to this plant. This is the season for other bulbs to grow around here, so that fits with the lily suggestion. I will post back if it blooms to see if that helps with an ID. Malia
